WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/630 
27 January 2006 
 (06-0389) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
 
IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 6 OF THE SPS AGREEMENT 
 
Experience in Establishing and Maintaining "Pest-Free Areas
" 
 
Communication from Egypt  
   The following communication, received on 26 January 2006, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of Egypt. 
 
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  1. Adaptation of sanitary or phytosanitary measures to regional conditions is of key importance 
and potential benefit to both impor ting and exporting countries.  Artic le 6 of the Agreement on the 
Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measur es (SPS Agreement) encourages Members to ensure 
that sanitary or phytosanitary measures are adapted to the sanitary or phytosanitary conditions of the 
area from which a consignment originat es and for which it is destined.   
2. Egypt has taken part in the discussions on the implementation of Article 6 as it has been an 
agenda item of the SPS Committee at every meeti ng since the Twenty Sixth Session in April 2003, 
and has also been the subject of informal meetings at each session. 
3. Also, like other Members, Egypt participates activel y in the work of the relevant international 
organizations such as the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the International Plant 
Protection Convention (IPPC). 
4. Egypt has presented the following information based on its experience in establishing and 
maintaining "pest-free areas" (PFAs) with the view to determine difficulties and problems on the 
application of Article 6 and to build on other count ries' experiences to formulate clearer guidelines for 
the effective application of this Article.  
EGYPT 'S EXPERIENCE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 6 
 
A. P
ROBLEM ORIGIN AND EARLY DEVELOPMENTS  
5. Egypt's experience with PFAs began in 1996  when Egypt faced a ban on all Egyptian exports 
of potatoes into a certain Member’s territory.  The importing Member cited the presence of "brown 
rot" in Egyptian potatoes as the reason for the ba n.  By 1998, the importing Member decided to ban 
potatoes from Egypt except if they originated fro m areas known as PFAs (which are completely free 
of the disease) and to re-impose the ban, even on potatoes from PFAs, when more than five cases of 
brown rot were found. G/SPS/GEN/630 
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  B. S
TEPS TAKEN BY THE EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL BROWN ROT  
6. The Egyptian Government has taken various step s to control brown rot, the most important 
step was the establishment of the Potato Brown Rot Project (PBRB).  Through that project, Egypt has 
been receiving technical and financial assistance from the importing Member for: 
− Establishing and equipping laboratories for diagnosing the disease; 
− Establishing PFAs under very restricted conditions according to the FAO rules; 
− Technology transfer from the importing Member to the Egyptian staff through M.S c. & 
Ph.D studies and training courses in the impor ting Member country and short visits from 
the importing Member experts; 
− Establishing traceability and reporting systems based on brown rot findings and problems; 
− Extensive studies of the disease epidemiology and survival in Egyptian water, soil and 
weeds; 
− Developing good extension packages for controlling and managing the disease. 
 7. Egypt establishes PFAs according to WTO, IPPC, and FAO specifications.  Egypt has 
responded to additional requirements of the importi ng Member, including new areas, farming in pivot 
rather than basins, irrigation using spray or dripping rather than flooding, chemical rather than organic 
fertilizer.  Accordingly, Egypt established several  areas in most Egyptian provinces that met these 
requirements, especially in Nubaria, Ismailia, and Sharkia.  These areas were depicted in detailed 
maps showing location, borders, and comprehensiv e information about each area, including bodies of 
water, names of villages, farms, etc.  Each area was given a distinct code number to make the follow-
up and surveying easier and to make tracing to problem areas faster.   
8. These maps include explanatory text, code name, surface area, area history, soil type, 
irrigation type, borders, number of farmers, histor ical diseases, phytosanitary tests conducted on the 
soil, water, or weeds; products exported from the area; and other information that provides a full 
picture of each area. 
9. On an annual basis, Egypt prepares the following documents: 
− List of eligible exporters; 
− List of packaging locations that are qualified to package potatoes; 
− New files about PFAs in Egypt to be authorized by the importing Members for the 
subsequent export season. 
 10. Therefore, the production, preparation, and e xport of disease-free potatoes from Egypt to the 
importing Member fulfilled the following conditions: 
− Use of certified disease-free potato seeds; 
− Farming in certified disease-free areas; 
− Testing and preparation in certified locations; 
− Testing and examination in accredited labs; 
− Exporting by certified exporters.  G/SPS/GEN/630 
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Finally, the foregoing was guided by detaile d and certified procedures and legislation. 
 C. M
ONITORING AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PFA S 
11. Monitoring PFAs took place using the following procedures: 
− Periodic testing of  soil, weeds , and water to ensure that those areas are free from brown rot 
disease; 
− Applying a suitable crop rotation;  
− Avoiding entry and farming of any crops related to that disease; 
− Avoiding entry  of any machines, inputs, organic fertilizer, soil, or any other products from 
unknown and unsafe areas; 
− Purification and cleaning of all machines  and inputs before using them in these areas; 
− Conducting all farming procedures, land testing, cu ltivating, and transport to refrigerators or 
to packaging locations under complete supervision of the PFA Committee; 
− Testing a sample of all exported shipments to the importing Member using the IF-test to 
make sure that they are free from any disease; 
− Updating the PFA list annually by adding new ar eas, changing the status of existing ones, 
or excluding infected areas; 
− Constantly monitoring infected areas  by applying contingency Plan  procedures.  Those 
consist of putting the infected areas under clo se scrutiny for 3-5 years, whereby planting 
any crop from the potato family is prohibited, a nd regular testing of soil, water and weeds is 
conducted until the area is certified pest free; 
− Applying traceability and investigation  procedures in case of an infected shipment to find 
its source and cause of infection and to take necessary actions to prevent recurrence; 
− Studying the different sources of infection , including farm, factory, or human waste to 
understand and avoid their effects on agriculture areas. 
 D. P
ROBLEMS AND LESSONS LEARNED  
12. Although the establishment and monitoring of PFA s is governed by standards formulated by 
international organizations and ag reements, Egypt is facing restrictive requirements imposed by the 
importing Member that go beyond those standards.  These additional restrictions, which represent 
serious constraints and obstacles to Egypt's expor ts of potatoes, include among other things:  
− Undue delays in the discussion and certification of Egypt's annual market access requests 
until after the farming season has passed; 
− Absence of a scientific basis for measures im posed by the importing Member, such as:  
• Ban on all Egyptian exports of potatoes, including those exported from PFAs, where 
more than five confirmed  cases of infection were found in a single season;  
• Giving preference to potatoes harvested in new sandy areas to ones harvested in old 
clay areas; G/SPS/GEN/630 
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  • Giving preference to potatoes harvested in pivots (150 Fadden) = (63 hectares) and 
large basins to ones harvested in smaller areas; 
• Giving preference to major rather than small producers; 
• Giving preference to areas that are irrigated using spraying or dripping to areas that 
use flooding; 
• Giving preference to areas that are irrigate d using subterranean rather than surface 
water; 
• Giving preference to areas using chemical rather than organic fertilizer. 
− The importing Member, to Egypt’s knowledge, has not applied similar measures on the 
exports of other countries that suffer from the same disease. 
 
13. In general Egypt believes that any importing Member should abide by the following with 
regards to PFAs:  
− Any imposed measures must have a scientific basis and be proportional to the expected 
injury that could result from the disease; 
− Non- discrimination  between different parties in applying these measures; 
− Particular conditions in developing countries s hould be taken into account so as not to harm 
vulnerable sectors of the population; 
− Measures taken by exporting countries should be recognized and accepted where they 
produce a sufficient degree of control and protection; 
− The importance of the importing countries adheri ng to international standards in approving 
Pest Free Areas in the territories of the exporting countries. 
  
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